The Haunted Traveler December 2017 Edition

140
Bear Trap
Feivel Wolff
He saw the woman on his way to the shop, and it was love at first sight, he supposed.
She was standing outside her little house in her robe beside a shivering child, waiting on
the school bus or some such. Standing there half-dressed for God and whoever else. He
could think of no good reason she’d be standing out there dressed like that. Like she
was waiting for him.
She looked right into his eyes as he drove past and measured out a sad and pretty
smile. Come on down to the shop, little lady. Ask for John Paul. I’ll service you real good.
Hell, he didn’t know there was a school this side of town. The only school he knowed
for sure was Ursula County High, a sprawl of brown brick spilt across farmland on the
other side of town, where he’d spent his whole life, such as it was. Not much else on this
side of town, except more farmland and the auto repair shop where he’d finally found
honest work. Good thing his wife’s daddy up and died, and left his oldest daughter
everything he had, such as it was. They’d have starved to death for certain by now.
John Paul Tillman watched the woman disappear in the distance of his rear view and
licked his dry lips. Yeah, he could fix her right up, a woman like that. Love at first sight.
He flicked his cigarette butt out the window.
He pulled his truck up beside the garage, tucked his sunglasses in the visor, and got
out. This man Stevens was a chump, but a job was a job.
“Shop opens at seven,” said his new boss, wiping his face with a rolled up sleeve to
avoid spreading grease across his brow.
“I know it,” said John Paul. “Wife made me late.”